So & So Books, a bookstore that opened its doors in downtown Raleigh only a few weeks ago, is taking a new approach to the art of selling books.

The independent bookstore is located in the front of the In Situ Studio architecture firm on Person Street.

“We saw a hole in the downtown landscape … [and] circumstances opened up for us to try something new,” Charles Wilkes, co-founder of So & So Books said.

Chris Tonelli, a former English professor at N.C. State, is Wilkes’ partner in the endeavor.

They say the secret to success in selling books is making a connection with the buyer and working with that person to suggest books that they will enjoy.

“We are trying to guarantee that you’ll find something worth reading,” Wilkes said. “We are very interested in forming relationships with our customers and expanding their reading experience.”

So & So Books’ genesis came at Groundwork, a monthly event started by Matt Konar, an N.C. State alum, where entrepreneurs gather to pitch ideas and compete for prize money.

In November, Tonelli and Wilkes’ pitch won over the Groundwork audience and the grand prize money.

Long before he began seriously considering the idea of opening a bookstore, Tonelli started a reading series, So And So, in Cambridge, Mass., for up-and-coming poets. The series moved to Raleigh in February of 2009, taking place every month at Morning Times, a local coffee shop on Hargett Street downtown.

Wilkes, who also has experience with selling books, had managed a Borders Books and worked at numerous bookstores before branching out to start his own bookstore with Tonelli’s help.

This interactive style of discussing literature and displaying local talent is just one of the ways that the series has grown into into a local bookstore in downtown Raleigh. Wilkes and Tonelli plan to host events such as reading clubs and lending the book space for those who want to use it for an event.

“We want to provide as much experience as possible that you can’t get at Amazon,” Tonelli said.

An important aspect of the bookstore is the carefully selected array of books in the store. The genres range from poetry to Pulitzer Prize-winning novels to children’s books, as well as a selection of local authors in the Triangle area. Wilkes and Tonelli will also be taking orders and suggestions from customers to create a customized, customer-friendly experience.

“We want people to know that if you come down here to pick out a book and buy it, it will be great. We have hand-picked these books ourselves,” Tonelli said.

Tonelli and Wilkes also plan to work with other Raleigh businesses and form a collaboration with Raleigh local businesses. For example, if Oak City Cycling were to suggest interesting cycling books to sell at the store, So & So would sell those books. The initiative is to get local residents interested in all the local businesses in the area.

“We want to make the downtown Raleigh experience one notch cooler,” Tonelli said.

As So & So begins its journey, Tonelli and Wilkes agree that this is merely a “litmus test” to see how people respond to the bookstore. As they both currently have other jobs, they plan to be in the store on nights and weekends. When they are not in the bookstore, their friends in the architecture firm attached to the bookstore will tend to the customers.

Wilkes summed up the store’s purpose as interactive experience between the store’s employees and its customers.

“If you’re interested in discussing books with experts who will match your interests to great books, we can do that,” Wilkes said. “We want to be there for you.”

Tonelli and Wilkes will be communicating to their customers through social media to let them know when they will be in the bookstore. So & So Books is at 704 N. Person St., next to Person Street Pharmacy.